System for determining biofuel concentration

Abstract

A measurement device or system configured to measure the content of biofuels within a fuel blend. By measuring a state of a responsive material within a fuel blend, a biofuel content of the fuel blend may be measured. For example, the solubility of a responsive material to biofuel content within a fuel blend, may affect a property of the responsive material, such as shape, dimensional size, or electrical impedance, which may be measured and used as a basis for determining biofuel content.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claims are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A measurement device for use in determining content of biofuel within a fuel blend, said measurement device comprising:
 a responsive material capable of changing dimensionally in response to changes in a concentration of biofuel within the fuel blend, wherein the fuel blend includes the biofuel and a petroleum-based fuel, wherein a dimensional property of said responsive material decreases in response to an increase in the concentration of the biofuel relative to the petroleum-based fuel, wherein the dimensional property of the responsive material increases in response to a decrease in the concentration of the biofuel relative to the petroleum-based fuel; 
 an indicator that provides information relating to the concentration of biofuel based on one or more properties of said responsive material. 
 
     
     
       2. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said responsive material is insoluble with respect to components of the fuel blend other than the biofuel. 
     
     
       3. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said components include at least one of contaminants and additives. 
     
     
       4. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said contaminants includes water. 
     
     
       5. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said dimensional property includes at least one of thickness and volume, and wherein said one or more properties include at least one of thickness, volume, and an electrical impedance. 
     
     
       6. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said indicator includes a gauge having a scale that indicates at least one of presence and concentration of biofuel based on linear dimension of said responsive material. 
     
     
       7. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said indicator provides information relating to the concentration of biofuel based on a current state of said one or more properties of said responsive material and in response to exposure of said responsive material to the fuel blend. 
     
     
       8. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a sensor operably coupled to said indicator, wherein said indicator is an output of said sensor, and wherein said sensor is capable of measuring said one or more properties of said responsive material. 
     
     
       9. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said sensor includes at least one of a linear transducer, an optical sensor, a strain gauge, a pressure sensor and a rheostat. 
     
     
       10. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said responsive material is formed of silicone rubber. 
     
     
       11. A measurement device for use in determining content of biofuel within a fuel blend, said measurement device comprising:
 a responsive material having a solubility property with respect to the biofuel and other components of the fuel blend that results in one or more properties of said responsive material changing as the concentration of biofuel changes in the fuel blend, wherein the fuel blend includes the biofuel and a petroleum-based fuel, wherein a dimensional property of said responsive material decreases in response to an increase in the concentration of the biofuel relative to the petroleum-based fuel, wherein said dimensional property of said responsive material increases in response to a decrease in the concentration of the biofuel relative to the petroleum-based fuel; and 
 an indicator that provides information relating to the concentration of biofuel as a function of said one or more properties of said responsive material. 
 
     
     
       12. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said indicator identifies the concentration of biofuel based on said current state of said one or more properties. 
     
     
       13. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising a sensor operably coupled to said indicator, said sensor capable of measuring said one or more properties of said responsive material, wherein said sensor determines a concentration of the biofuel based on said measured one or more properties, and provides said indicator information relating to said determined concentration. 
     
     
       14. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said sensor includes at least one of a linear transducer, an optical sensor, a strain gauge, a pressure sensor, and a rheostat. 
     
     
       15. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said sensor is a pressure sensor, wherein said responsive material is in a restricted space such that as the biofuel concentration changes, pressure within said restricted space changes, wherein said pressure sensor measures said pressure within said restricted space, and wherein said indicator indicates biofuel concentration based on said measured pressure. 
     
     
       16. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said indicator is an output of said sensor. 
     
     
       17. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said responsive material changes dimensionally as the concentration of biofuel changes in the fuel blend. 
     
     
       18. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said indicator includes a scale capable of visually identifying at least one or presence and concentration of biofuel based on a dimensional property of said responsive material and in response to contact with the fuel blend. 
     
     
       19. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said responsive material is soluble to biofuel and insoluble to at least one of contaminants and additives of the fuel blend. 
     
     
       20. The measurement device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the biofuel is ethanol, wherein the petroleum-based fuel is gasoline such that the fuel blend includes ethanol and the gasoline, and wherein said dimensional property of the responsive material decreases as an amount of the ethanol in the fuel blend increases relative to an amount of the gasoline.